Michigan DNR to Survey Anglers, Collect Fishing Experience Data
OutdoorHub 04.25.12
As fishing season begins, the Department of Natural Resources reminds anglers that department personnel will be out collecting data at lakes, rivers and Great Lakes ports – seeking information about anglers’ fishing experiences this year.
DNR creel clerks will ask anglers how long they fished, what species they were targeting and how many fish were harvested and/or released. In some cases, clerks may ask to measure or weigh fish and take scale samples.
The efforts are part of the department’s Statewide Angler Survey Program, a long-term monitoring program designed to track recreational fisheries across the Great Lakes.
“The point of the whole program is to characterize how many fish are harvested, how many hours anglers spend fishing, and what fish they’re targeting,” said DNR fisheries biologist Tracy Kolb. “We use this information to manage fisheries across the state.”
Kolb said it usually only takes a few minutes to answer the creel clerks’ questions and that the DNR appreciates anglers’ cooperation.
Anglers interested in seeing the results from surveys of Great Lakes in previous years can find them online at www.dnr.state.mi.us/chartercreel.
